Minority believe military should keep powers
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Challenges still loom for a democratic state in Indonesia where civilians reign supreme, with a significant minority of people still believing military posts are vital for public order and security.
The survey, released on Tuesday by the Indonesian Research Institute (LSI), shows that a clear majority of Indonesians believe territorial military commands should be abolished.
Out of 1,137 people from 33 provinces interviewed in the survey on civilian supremacy and national defense, 55 percent to 58 percent of them disapproved of the territorial military commands at district, regional and provincial levels.
However, a significant minority of 24 percent to 28 percent of those surveyed still thought the military commands should be kept in the regions.
The survey, which was conducted in September, also revealed that just over half of the interviewers agreed that the decision to proclaim a state of emergency or declare war should be made by the government and legislators.
Fewer, only 30 percent of the respondents, wanted to give the military that authority.
The survey revealed, unsurprisingly, that 82.2 percent of those interviewed agreed that the military's main role was to defend the state from external threats.
However, support for the military in politics seems to be dropping, with only 24 percent of people surveyed of the view that the country should be led by former military officer, a drop from 34 percent last year.
The majority approved of the TNI's decision to quit politics, although some 26 percent of them could accept the military's continued involvement in politics.
A large majority, around 68 percent of people, agreed that active military members should not occupy legislative posts, nor become the president, while between 51 percent and 60 percent suggested that only the government and the House of Representatives should decide the defense budget.
Fears that the military would ignore the role of civilian leaders were also high, with less than 50 percent of people believing that a civilian defense minister would have the authority to control and command military generals.
Most people, however, support reducing the military's powers and agree that the state should be solely responsible for financing the military and should increase the salaries of its members. They thought the military should be banned from engagement in businesses.
LSI executive director Saiful Mujani said the findings showed that while democratic impulses were the majority, a significant minority still believed in the importance of the military in politics and business.
Military observer Salim Said said the continued support for the military could have something to do with the unpopularity of the police and House members.
"The people lack trust in the police. They also do not appreciate the performance of House members. The civilian political system's failure also encourages the military's involvement in politics," he told a discussion about the survey.
Meanwhile, legislator Effendy Choiry from Commission I on security, defense and foreign affairs said he believed many in the military had no intention of letting civilians take away their special political and economic powers.
"Don't heap the blame on legislators or the failure of civilians. We all are still learning, so give us a chance. The military has reigned supreme for years," he said.